We maybe a little biased as we have a soft spot for the area of Coney Hall (nestled between Hayes and West Wickham in the borough of Bromley), as a couple of our team live here, but it really is a great location for bringing up a family, as well as still being commutable to and from Central London.
Considered semi-rural, yet with many of the conveniences of good public transport links and a decent run of shops, it’s the best of both worlds for people who want to live somewhere slightly quieter but with the ease of living close to larger towns. Throw in some great schools (Wickham Common Primary and Hayes and Ravenswood for secondary) and you can see why many people come to us looking for properties to buy in this area.
So what do I need to know about Coney Hall?
Coney Hall Farm was first mentioned in the 17th century, when its lease stated that the tenant had the sole right to catch coneys (rabbits) on nearby Jackson’s Heath. Following the death of lord of the manor Sir Henry Lennard in 1928, much of his Wickham Court estate was sold to Morrell’s, which was also building on the western side of Petts Wood. Construction work on the Coney Hall estate’s 1,000 homes began in 1933 and the shops of Kingsway Parade were built on the south side of Croydon Road.
Many of the houses were in a standard style, with polygonal bay windows and half-timbered gables, and were priced more affordably than elsewhere in West Wickham, although this distinction has since diminished and prices and very similar. Coney Hall is surrounded by beautiful countryside and the woodland of Hayes and West Wickham Commons that date back to the Iron Age.
Getting about
Coney hall has great transport links to central London.
Rail: The nearest station is Hayes (Kent) that provides 4-hourly services into Charing Cross and Cannon Street and London Bridge, with journeys taking approx 35 minutes. The station can be reached by walking (10-15 minutes depending on where you are located in Coney Hall), or by the 138 or 246 buses.
Bus: There are many local bus routes linking Coney Hall with Bromley, Croydon and Beckenham including the 24 hour 119 (to Bromley/Croydon) from the main Addington Road near the parade of shops. The main bus that runs through Coney Hall is the 138, with approx 3 services an hour into Bromley.
Cycle: There are plenty of parking spaces for bikes at Hayes station (many Coney Hall residents cycle and park each day).
Airports: For air travel, Gatwick Airport is just 40 minutes away by car, and London City Airport a similar time frame.
Local amenities
Coney Hall is a fantastic place to live for families who like plenty to do and enjoy a sense of community and an outdoor life. The Assembly Halls is the hub of the community and runs many classes an events during the day and evenings 24/7 – from fitness classes to dog training, from Brownies to book clubs. West Wickham Leisure Centre (soon to be refurbished) is a short drive away and provides fitness classes, a gym, and swimming lessons for the local community.
Shops-wise Coney Hall has a decent array of largely independent stores, plus a large Co-Op for shopping and household bits. The Coney is the local pub, plus there are some great cafes and restaurants to sample too for those who like to eat out.
